Echo Boost Beach Rod Help

[NHsalter]

Hello folks.

I 'd like to know if anyone owns and uses these rods and if so, could you give me some advice. I would like to try a two handed rod for fishing the Maine and NH coasts and don't want to break the bank. I would like to know if this is worth the money for this type of fishing. I would also like some advice as to what weight rod to purchase for this type of fishing. Thanks for any and all help you can give me.

Edited February 5 by NHsalter

[Suave]

There is a ton of information in previous threads on this Forum about two-handed surf rods and a search will provide you with answers as well as more relevant questions. For instance, go through the "Two Handed Surf  Fly Rods" thread started on December 7, 2020.

[Mike Oliver]

NHsalter

 

 

For beach fly fishing you need a rod capable of casting with ease a line of 600 grains overhead. If the rod is not capable of that it will be a total waist of time and you end up with a bucket load of frustration. A single hand 10 wt will totally out class a TH that is not able to dominate a 600 grain line. The rod needs a minimum length of 12 feet. 13 feet is better.

 

Mike

[HL]

NHsalter

If I did not have access to 2 handers like Mike O's 12'9" OH beach rod - I would not hesitate to buy Tim's 12'2" #9 beach rod.

You may not get the distance that Mike gets with the finesee of that rod - but the ECO is an honest product for the $.  You may have to experiment with lines .

Herb

[Mike Oliver]

Herb

Echo list the 8 wt as 300 grains. They don’t declare the 9 wt. but even  if it is 400 grains that really is not enough grains for a beach rod based on my experience and field gained knowledge. I stand by my preference for a single hand 10 wt over a Two Hander that is not able to handle 600 grains plus. Honest rod what does that actually mean. 
 

Mike

Edited February 5 by Mike Oliver

[Suave]

On its website, Echo has a chart of lines recommended for their spey casting rods. The Echo is described as having been designed as an overhead casting rod and is not listed on this chart and I couldn't find  a line recommendation for it on the Echo website. But I saw one on a fl'y shop website: it says to use the same line as for a single hand rod of the same weight. If that is right, it means that the line for the 9w Boost Beach will be quite far from having a 600gr head. 

[Mike Oliver]

Suave

 

They say their rods are balanced to single hand lines. I did find the grain weights they allocate to their 6 7 and 8 wt. They do not conform to single hand AAFTM standards. For example a 10 wt is 280 grains nominal. They say their 8 wt is 300 grains. 
Casting a TH with 300 grains is same line near as dam it fished on a 10 wt single hander. No double haul with a TH. The longer length increases line speed sure but in a head wind we have a long rod balanced to a 10 wt single hand line. Not sure how that works at all.

I stand by my assertion that a general purpose Beach rod needs to be good for 600 grains or it is going to have big limitations. The tee shirt is so worn now it’s in shreds falling off my back.

 

Mike

 

[changed]

On 2/5/2023 at 10:59 AM, Mike Oliver said:

NHsalter

 

 

For beach fly fishing you need a rod capable of casting with ease a line of 600 grains overhead. If the rod is not capable of that it will be a total waist of time and you end up with a bucket load of frustration. A single hand 10 wt will totally out class a TH that is not able to dominate a 600 grain line. The rod needs a minimum length of 12 feet. 13 feet is better.

 

Mike

I disagree.

 

I used the Douglas DXF 11'6" 8 weight switch rod last year, cast around 500 grains like a cannon just fine in a stiff wind. I see you post this a lot, and I've even read guys on other forums citing your claims on this, but it simply isn't true.

 

The 9 weight Boost Beach would get the job done around here.

Edited February 7 by changed

[Mike Oliver]

changed, 

 

I do post that for a general purpose TH it needs to be able to cast 600 grains and some. This statement did not come about overnight but many years of fishing your surfs in Montauk, Cape Cod and Maine.

 

I am going to assert that I am 100% correct in what I say and comfortable that I have established this over many years fishing in the USA for 26 years

I do not know where your over here is. I am not talking about a speciality rod to suit one location I am saying general purpose.  This covers your north east coast which does get pretty rough and very windy quite often.

I have cast 10 wt spey rods, Switch rods and they just do not cut it Out Front.

I have made it my life’s work to be able to fish Out Front in extreeme conditions. I have spent a great deal of my time, energy, and money searching for solutions that enable fly fishing to still be possible in conditions that were just not doable in the past because the rods were totally unsuitable and that was not surprising as rods twenty years ago were spey rods and later came switch rods all designed for fresh water.  I spent a great deal of money on standard rods and none of them cut it. If a two hand rod casting 300 or 400 grains could cut it as a general purpose beach rod then I would have been able to save myself a great deal of angst and money and kept more of my hair. I would not have had to try and educate those who deemed I was fair game to attack and ridicule. I have laid down the gauntlet in the past and made direct challanges to the more aggressive doubters but they were not prepared to come and have a cast and fish me.  You disagree with me ,something I have learned to deal with over the years but not except because I have the comfort in knowing I am right. This is not arrogant it is based on experience and fact and it can be measured.

You say that what I say is untrue. That’s gloves off to me. Are you prepared to meet on an open beach with your Douglas Switch rod and me with  one of my TH beach rod designs and see who is factually accurate. I am and it is a 3000 mile journey for me.

Let me qualify for my part this would be a challenge made with the best of intentions to establish facts in a totally friendly and inclusive way. I wish that post casting we can take a meal and a beer together. Is this something you would like to do. I hope so. 
 

regards

 

Mike
 

Edited February 6 by Mike Oliver

[onthefly]

This is all great information but as a novice with two hand and 40 years single hand  a given caster doesn't really know or trust in a setup untill he faces the conditions they will be fishing in. I'd like to have a day at the beach where anglers could get together and try different outfits and reach conclusions for themselves. Before investing in a 1000$ setup.

[Mike Oliver]

29 mins ago, onthefly said:

This is all great information but as a novice with two hand and 40 years single hand  a given caster doesn't really know or trust in a setup untill he faces the conditions they will be fishing in. I'd like to have a day at the beach where anglers could get together and try different outfits and reach conclusions for themselves. Before investing in a 1000$ setup.

onthefly

 

We ran TH days in Cape Cod for a few years not that many years ago. Sadly the numbers reduced to a level where it was not viable. Single hand Two Hand it is hard to know how you or the rod will perform until you are both tested in real life conditions. We can get a fair idea if we get to cast a rod first but best testing  ground is the ocean no doubt.
To make meaningful comparisons between rods means we need to be on our game. But It is possible to teach most  people how to cast a TH beach fly rod in twenty minutes. I know this because I have done it. If I return to the Cape I would offer to run another one if the numbers were sensible. I am not happy to give up a days fishing if just six guys turn up.

 

mikey

[Oakman]

2 hours ago, changed said:

I disagree.

 

I used the Douglas DXF 11'6" 8 weight switch rod last year, cast around 500 grains like a cannon just fine in a stiff wind. I see you post this a lot, and I've ever read guys on other forums citing your claims on this, but it simply isn't true.

 

The 9 weight Boost Beach would get the job done around here.

Define "stiff" in something we can all relate to, like mph.  Measured on the beach with an anemometer or just a guess?  Next post a video of you casting this rod with 500 grains so we can see what you consider "like a cannon".  Once you have done that we will have some concrete information to evaluate your claims.

[changed]

I’m not going to get out my anemometer, nor am I going to get involved in some sort of casting duel at ten paces… 

 

You can cast a rod that isn’t a 17’ 15 weight spey rod in the surf for stripers, with the wind in your face, plain and simple. 

Have a good one.

[Oakman]

52 mins ago, changed said:

I’m not going to get out my anemometer, nor am I going to get involved in some sort of casting duel at ten paces… 

 

You can cast a rod that isn’t a 17’ 15 weight spey rod in the surf for stripers, with the wind in your face, plain and simple. 

Have a good one.

Then don't come tell a respected member that what he says isn't true if you're not willing to put up the goods.  You give no real field data to back up your assertions so your opinion is worthless here.  The reason no one is asking the other member to put up the goods is he has been putting the goods up here for quite some time and his reputation precedes him.  And furthermore,  many of us have fished with him and know what he can do.

 

So go back to your seat and be quite please.

[milosh]

10 hours ago, Oakman said:

Then don't come tell a respected member that what he says isn't true if you're not willing to put up the goods.  You give no real field data to back up your assertions so your opinion is worthless here.  The reason no one is asking the other member to put up the goods is he has been putting the goods up here for quite some time and his reputation precedes him.  And furthermore,  many of us have fished with him and know what he can do.

 

So go back to your seat and be quite please.

I just want to say that people like this on forums do NOTHING positive for fishing or information sharing in fact its rude and obnoxious!

 

telling people that their experience is worthless because a "long time-well respected" member outranks them is lunacy!

 

I fish with a two-hander that is an 7/8 wt and throws 425grn head with 100grains of T-10 into a beach wind (you decide the MPH) much better than my single hand 9 wt. 

NOT to mention it is SOOOOOO much easier on the body than a SH in my experience.

 

Everyone knows mass pushes through wind but, that does NOT negate the opinions of people who think it can be done another way or people who just like to do it a different way!

I dont enjoy hucking heavy heads all day.......

 

Mike has posted tons of great information over the years! But, that doesn't mean he is GOD!

and he addressed it himself in an earlier post!